Obama vows to smash Isis caliphate

BARACK OBAMA yesterday announced a prolonged bombing campaign to prevent the creation of a terrorist “caliphate” in the Middle East — warning that the militants posed a direct threat to western countries.

In a dramatic escalation of the conflict in Iraq, the US president said he was prepared to launch airstrikes on the militants for months to come so “the terrorists cannot establish a permanent safe haven”.

He also announced plans for a “counterterrorism element” to prevent Isis, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, from launching attacks in Britain and America, as well as targeting western hostages in the region.

Obama said US forces would target “foreign fighters and jihadists gathering in Syria and Iraq who might potentially launch attacks outside the region against western and US…

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